Trimming

We know you have come here searching for something. It could be nothing more than curiosity or maybe you have an equine friend with hoof health difficulties. Whatever your reasons we hope you can see what is possible and also understand that Hoof Health is paramount to your horse’s overall wellbeing.

You will also learn to understand that the hoof never lies. It will tell you what is right and what is wrong overall as this is not just about the feet, but even more so about the feeding and living conditions.

Horse Hoof Health’s mission statement is “Helping Humans Help Horses” and has always been as you can see from our case studies.

We encourage you to read and comment. We love feedback and we love the learning that comes from teaching. It’s an endless journey. Horses never fail to teach us! We are not claiming to know it all, but time and experience teaches one a lot and it is our duty to share the knowledge.

Do you somehow think that proper hoof care is the same as trimming your fingernails? Some people do!

So which category of horse owner are you?

Regardless of “where you fall under” we hope that all of you have an appreciation for how well designed and incredible horses’ hooves are!

1.) No intention to trim your own horse?

No rule says you have to! Yet, we hope that you will have a greater appreciation for your trimmer’s skills and also be able to make informed observations of your horse’s hooves. In addition, by studying the “trimming” section of the site you will be able to compare our methods with those of your trimmer. Won’t it be nice to actually have an informed conversation with your trimmer?

2.) Hoping to learn barefoot trimming?

We are passionate about horses being barefoot as we have personally seen the positive results. In addition to all the information on our site, there are some great books and instructional DVD’s by some great barefoot practitioners. Look for clinics in your area in order to get the “hands-on training”. NEVER stop learning!

3.) Have an emergency situation?

Some of you may be here because you have exhausted all other avenues. You may have a horse that is really struggling and nothing is helping him improve. For inspiration please visit our case studies to see what is possible. Don’t EVER give up!!

4.) Ready to learn to trim?

It really isn’t THAT hard to learn!

If you fall into this category the following pages are dedicated to you. Before you continue reading the rest of this page remember… this isn’t a race! Before you pick up your rasp, knife or nippers you need to do the work as set out in the remaining topics. It is really important to think about and understand what changes are required and how you are going to accomplish this.

Everything you do has a goal in mind. And the soundness of your horse is your “litmus test” that you are doing things correctly.

Please make sure you review and understand all the “other stuff”. If you do not have the general understanding of everything that is required how can you perform a proper trim?

Again, this isn’t like trimming your finger nails, you are trimming according to the inner structures of the foot.

Don’t forget this.

They are your guide, else you are treating a symptom and not the root cause. (Just go to Tommy’s story in case studies and read about padded shoes and taped on carpet underlay if you need a refresher!)

We have placed these pages in an order that makes sense to us and although we can’t stop you please don’t jump ahead. You may also find that you need to re-read the material many times. This is normal, and we encourage you to do so since the majority of you will be learning a new skill.

You may even find that as you progress and come back to review the material, you will discover things written in these pages that you swear weren’t there before! We think this is because you can only absorb so much information at a time so please review constantly.

Also, remember, what we have written is done in a “general” fashion. Every foot and situation is different and I cannot possibly know what your horse’s feet look like on a day by day basis. This is where you have to use your common sense or ask us.

You need to study and understand what your horse’s feet are telling you about their current state. You need to know what is right about them and what is wrong about them. Do not be quick to start trimming until you review each hoof and “made a plan”. It is very important to be sure of what you are taking off but even more so, what you are leaving on…as well as why and what the long term goal is.

If you can’t figure it out, drop us a line and we will help you out to the best of our abilities or point you back to the information you need to review again. We will also gladly answer any questions that have not been addressed as that will help us build our site.

You can use the Contact Us form on each page for this purpose.

The best part about this journey is that it is one of the most rewarding we have seen, not just for us but for others we have taught.